Method of and apparatus for concentrating acids



T. C. OLiVER.,-

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING ACIDS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.22. 1916.

Patented Au 15, 1916.

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1 jCQZZWfi/j wltnesses v w) I In ventor 1 I Attofneys 1 5 1 My. d e t nm a P APPLIC'ATIONYFILED'MAR.22,1916.

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-Witnesses fizm- Attorneys v T. c OLIVER.

v METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COYNCENTRATING cms; APPLICATION FILEDMAR-22,19I6. I 1,195,075, Patented Aug. 15,1916.

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Witnesses Inventor Attorneys v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS CLIFFORD OLIVER, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TOCHEMICAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, 01? CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING ACIDS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. OLIVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of NorthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Method of and Apparatus forConcentrating Acids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for concentratingacids by the use of heat, one of the objects of the invention being toprovide simple and eflicient means for agitating the acid while it isbeing subjectedto heat so that all portions of the acid will thus beacted on and the accumulation of substances upon the bottom of difierentportions of the apparatus will be prevented.

A further object is to employ apparatus in which the hot gases pass overthe agitated acid. 1 Another object is to utilize a tower in which isabsorbed any acid gas which may be driven from other portions of theapparatus by the heat, this tower utilizing that portion of the heatwhich escapesfrom other portions of the apparatus.

A still further object is to provide apparatus of this character allparts of which are built into one unit thus to obtain a simple anddurable structure at a minimum cost of construction and wherebypractically all of the heat is used and the maximum efliciency attained.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists incertain novel details of construction and certain steps in the method ofconcentrating acids, which will be hereinafter-more fully'described andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the-form of apparatus used in carrying outthe improved process, has been illustrated,

. Figure 1 is a view partly in s1de elevatlon and partly inse'ctionpfthe apparatus. Fig 2 is a view partly n plan and partly in horizontalsection. ig. 3 ,is a vertical transverse section, a portion of saidsection being taken on the line AB Fig. 1 while the remainder of thesection is taken on the line GD Fig. 1. Fig. '4. is'an enlarged sectionon line E-F Fig. 2.

Referring to the figures by 1 characters of reference 1 designates-afoundation of any Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug..'15, 1916.

Application filed larch 22, 1916. Serial No. 85,938.

suitable construction, the same being preferably arched and providedwith transverse tie rods 2. Above the arch may be arranged common bricksdenoted at 3 and it is designed to place over this foundation a layer ofasphalt 4 on which is arranged a thickness of acid resisting bricks 5 ofany preferred construction, said bricks being laid in acid proof mortar.

Erected over the brick bottom 5 are par allel concentrating flues 6 and7 each havmg an arched top which is inclined down- .wardly and inwardlyfrom the outer end 7 of the flue, as shown at 8 and merges into asubstantially horizontal arch "9 extending practically throughout thelength of the flue. The walls of'each flue are preferably constructed ofsilica fire brick, as indicated at 10 and erected on these walls are oneor hot gases. However, should these hot acid fumes penetrate to theouter layer ofbricks and condense on the ,cool surfaces, it has beenfound that the buter arches would be I destroyed unless they should bemade of acidproof brick. In other words, the acid fumes and hot gaseshave no corrosive action whatever 'llntll sufliciently cool to condenseand :this does not occur at the temperature-to which the fire bricklining is exposed but does occur at the temperature customarilyencountered at the outer arch or casing of acid-proof brick.

The walls 10 and bottom 5 are extended outwardly beyond the outer endsof the flues .6 and 7 and said walls 10, together with an upstandingtransverse wall 13 cooperate to form a trougn 14: extending across theouter ends of the *flues and which, communicates with said flues throughacid ports 15. This trough has a cover 16 preferably of lead. The troughis provided with extensions 17 likewise covered with-lead or the likeand which can be opened to permit the insertion r cally all of the heatwhich leaves the of cleaning rods which can thus be directed into theports 15.

Extending through the end of the trough is an outlet pipe 18 for theacid,-that end of the pipe within the trough being upturned as shownparticularly in Fig. 4 so that the acid will be maintained at apredetermined level within the trough.

Extending into the trough is an air pipe 19 having branches 20 whichextend throu h the ports 15 and longitudinally for a esired distancewithin the flues 6 and 7. These pipes are extended along the bottoms ofthe fines and those portions thereof within the flues are apertured sothat jets of air will be free to escape from the pipes and into the acidcontained within the flues.

Formed in the end wall of the flues are ports 21 through which gasburners may be extended or, if fuel other than gas or oil is employed,hot products of combustion vfrom a furnace located adjacent theapparatus herein described, can be directed to the ports 21.

Erected at that end of the fines remote from the trough 14 is a tower 22about the.

base of which is formed a trough 23 communicatin g with the interior ofthe tower through ports 24 in the walls of the tower. Spaced arches 25are erected in the lower portion of the tower, these arches beingconstructed of acid-proof brick set in acld-proof cement and servin tosuprgort a brid e made up of paralle rows 0 rick, as in cated at 26.This bridge supports a brick checker-work indicated at 27 and above thechecker-work is, arranged a filling of quartz indicated generally at 28.

Man-ho cs 29 are formed in one wallof the tower in line with the lines 6and 7, these man-holes being provided with normally closed'cover lates30. By removm the cover plates the ottom of the tower an the adjacentends of the flues 6 and 7 can be readily cleaned.

A gas outlet pipe 81 is provided adjacent the top of the tower and theaorta so located that it will not obstruct't e flow of gas through thisoutlet pipe.

In using the ap aratus, heat is directed into the outer an s of theflues, either b extending burners into said fiues throug the ports 21;.or by directing hot products of com ustion trom adjacent urnaccs throughthe ports 21.

Acid is spra quartz and wi trickle thcrethroug V to the bottom at thetower and then flow longitudinally oi the dues and out through trough 14and the outlet pipe 18 which serves to conduct the acid to coolersrovidcd therefor. The greatest heat wit the due: is adjacent the Iports21 and this heat gradua 1y diminis or toward the tows practiucs ed asordinarily u on the being used 1n the tower for action upon thedescending acid. Thus it will be seen that concentration of the acidbegins as soon as the acid is discharged into the tower, the heatincreasing as the acid approaches the trough 14. The acid is kept in ahigh state of agitation by air under pressure which is dischargedthrough the apertures in the pipes 20 so that the accumulation ofsubstances in the concentrating fiues is prevented and all portions ofthe acid in the flues is presented for direct contact with the hotgases. Consequently the concentration is effected quickly. As has beenpointed out heretofore the flues can be cleaned by in sorting cleaningrods through the extensions 17 and ports 15 andv also by 0 enin theman-holes 29. Any acid gas de ivere to the tower from the flues will beabsorbed within the tower by thedowncoming acid which has been sprayedfrom above.

It might be stated that the fire brick lining of each concentrating flueand which lining has been indicated at 11, is not permanently cementedor joined to the acid-proof arch 12 and, consequently, said fire bricklining is free to expand and contract independently of the rest of thearch.

It is well known that when sulfuric acid is subjected to a temperatureabove a certain de ree it is disintegrated. It has been found, owever,that by following the process herein set forth, gases heated to veryhigh temperatures can be caused to flow over the acid without causingdisintegration, this being due to the fact that the acid is keptconstantly in a cool condition by the air bubbling through'it.

What is claimed is 1- 1. The herein described method of concentratingacid which consists 'in subjecting a relatively deep substantiallystatic body oi acidto the action of an overlying currentot hot gases anddirecting air through the heated acid to agitate it.

p 2. The herein described method of concentrating acid, which consistsin directing hot gases over a relatively deep substantially static bodyor acid and of orcing air through the acid to a 'tate it and present allportions of the 'aci to the action of the ear I 8. The herein describedmethod of concentratin acid, which consists in subject- 1111 a reativsly deep substantially s atic ha y or acid to heat which increasestron:

one end to the other or said body and in iorcing air through the acidwhere subjected to the greatest degree of heat. I

4. The herein descnbcd method at concentrating acid, which consists indirecting hot gases over fa relatively dce tiall static body of acid andem upwar y between pieces or impervious matcrial, and directing aciddownwardly basubIbc-ntween said pieces of material and into said body,thereby to subject the acid to an increasing degree of heat.

5. The herein described method of concentrating acid, which consists indirecting hot gases over a relatively deep substantially static body ofacid and thence upwardly between pieces of impervious material,directing acid downwardly through said material and into said body,thereby to subject the acid to an increasing degree of heat, and thendirecting jets of air through the body of acid to agitate the acid andbring all portions thereof into direct contact with the hot gasesthereabove.

6. Apparatus for concentrating acid, in

cluding a tower having an arched structure in the bottom thereof, piecesof impervious material supported by the arched structure, a flue openinginto the tower for holding a relatively deep substantially static bodyof acid received from the tower, means for directing hot gases over theacid within the flue and longitudinally of the flue to the bottomportionof the tower, there being a gas outlet adjacent the top of the tower.

. 7. Apparatus for concentrating acid, including a tower having anarched structure in the bottom thereof, pieces of impervious materialsupported by the arched structure, a flue opening into the tower forholding a relatively deep substantially static body of acid receivedfrom the tower, means for directing hot gasesflover the acid within theflue and longitudinally of the flue to the bottom portion of the tower,there being a gas outlet adjacent the top of the tower, there beingopenings adjacent the respective ends of the flue for the reception ofcleaning means.

8 Apparatus for use in the concentration ofacid, including a tower, anarched structure within the lower portion of the tower, pieces ofimpervious material supported by the arched structure, flues extendingfrom the bottom portion of the tower and adapted to receive acid fromthe tower, said flues having acid ports in their outer ends, atransverse trough extending across the outer ends of the flues for thereception of acid from the ports, an outlet member extending from thetrough and constituting means for maintaining the acid at apredetermined level within the trough and flues, and means for directinghot gases over the acid within the flues and into the tower.

9. Apparatus for use in the concentration of acid, including a tower, anarched structure-within the lower portion of the tower, pieces ofimpervious material supported by the arched structure, flues extendingfrom the bottom portion of the tower and adapted to receive acid fromthe tower, said flues having acid ports in their outer ends, atransverse trough extending across the outer ends of the flues for thereception of and from the ports, an outlet member extend. ing from thetrough and constituting means for maintaining the acid at apredetermined level within the trough and flues, and means for directinghot gases over the acid within the flues and into the arched structurein the tower.

10. Apparatus for use in the concentration of acid, including a tower,an arched structure within the lower portion of the tower, pieces ofimpervious material supported by the arched structure, flues extendingfrom the bottom portion of the tower and adapted to receive acid fromthe tower, said flues having acid ports in their outer ends, atransverse trough extending across the outer ends of the flues for thereception of acid from the ports, an outlet member extending from thetrough and constituting means for maintaining the acid at apredetermined level within the trough and flues, means for directing hotgases over the acid within the flues and into the tower, and means fordirecting air under pressure into the acid within the flues to agitatethe acid and present all portions thereof in direct contact with the hotgases thereover.

11. Apparatus for concentrating acid, including an acid concentratingflue, said flue having an arched top comprising an inner thickness offire brick and an outer thickness of acid proof material, said firebrick being capable of expansion and contraction independently of theacid proof material, means for drawing off acid from the flue, saidmeans operating to maintain the acid at a predetermined level within theflue, and means for directing hot gases over the acid and longitudinallyof the flue.

12. In acid concentrating apparatus, a concentrating flue having anarched top comprising an inner thickness of fire brick and an outerthickness of acid proof material, said inner thickness being capable ofexpansion and contraction independently of

